If you thought Boeing 747s weren’t useful for understanding how stars are formed, you don’t know about SOFIA.

Officially known as the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA is a heavily modified Boeing 747 Special Performance jetliner, with a 17-ton, 8-foot telescope mounted behind a 16-by-23-foot sliding door that reveals the infrared telescope to the skies.

Read More : “Jet with 17- Ton Telescope” , NASA’s New Flying Observatory.